Dutch Gaming Authority issues warnings ahead of 2026 World Cup

• KSA has issued a reminder to licensed operators to comply with applicable rules regarding promotional materials and available wager types
• The regulator has vowed to monitor and act against the illegal gambling market as well, although it has limited recourse there
• KSA may be limited in how much it can carry out enforcement action against the unregulated market

As the 2026 World Cup looms on the horizon, the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has issued an official update on its website, cautioning against excessive gambling ads and promotional materials that breach the established guidelines.

2026 World Cup prompts KSA to issue a reminder about compliance

The regulator focused exclusively on warning existing license holders in the regulated market, urging them to follow the applicable rules, that extends to both the promotional materials they put forward, but also the types of wagers that are offered locally.

Commenting on this, KSA Chairman of the Board, Michel Groothuizen, had this to add:

"We saw at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 European Championship that gambling increased. This makes it attractive for companies to attract new players during that period. While I understand this, I strongly urge providers to remain mindful of the protection of young adults and other vulnerable groups and to adhere to the applicable rules. If we observe that this is not happening, we will take immediate action."

The KSA issued a reminder that specific proposition bets are prohibited, including "first corner kick" and "yellow cards." Apart from scrutinizing the regulated sector, the watchdog will equally double down on monitoring the illegal gambling market and take action against offenders in the sector as well.

Yet, enforcement against the illegal gambling market has come with a realization that the regulator may have limited means of collection. The regulator most recently handed down a €24,846,000 penalty to Novatech, the company behind Qbet.com and 55bet.com.

The penalty is the largest to ever have been issued by the KSA against a private market operator that allegedly targeted the country without a proper license.

Illegal gambling remains a serious challenge, all the same

Mike de Graaff, chief compliance officer at BetComply, commented on the inherent difficulty of forcing a company that is not registered in the country and holds no material assets locally to comply - especially when the size of the penalty is that big.

"While the €24.8 million penalty announced by the Kansspelautoriteit is symbolically significant, the reality is that collecting administrative fines from offshore operators remains extremely challenging. If the operator is genuinely based outside the EU and has no assets within the European enforcement perimeter, the likelihood of actually recovering the full amount is relatively low," he noted.

The KSA would be able to immediately act against licensed operators throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup; however, those that have breached specific rules, but mostly recorded breaches in the illegal gambling market, will most likely not be immediately acted against, other than in the form of a fine that is difficult to collect.

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